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Old 05-25-2023, 10:45 PM   #1
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Anatomy of a Trailer Sway Accident

I found this video on YouTube. It all happens pretty fast so I slowed it down and added some commentary as the event unfolded. No indication if the Jeep had a WDH.

Clearly the worst case for sway as they started down hill just as a semi truck overtakes the TV/trailer on the left.

http://youtu.be/hfTddTzozyw
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Old 05-26-2023, 05:06 AM   #2
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Thank God they didn’t get flipped down that embankment!
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Old 05-26-2023, 05:36 AM   #3
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Wow that’s crazy!
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Old 05-26-2023, 06:07 AM   #4
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That is really crazy to see happen in slow motion.

That wheelbase seems fairly short for that trailer, but maybe that's just me...regardless, the ending could have been far, far worse.

I saw the aftermath of something similar to this several years ago. Guy was towing a roughly 25er with a Jeep like this. Both RV and Jeep wound up on their side. After making sure everyone was ok, I took a look at the hitch setup. He was towing on the ball only. Didn't even have friction sway control....but the chains did work.
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Old 05-26-2023, 06:13 AM   #5
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^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

WB...no it's it's not just you...short makes a marginal lash-up quite a bit worse.

Step on the gas a bit & hit the trailer brakes.

Bob
🇺🇸
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Old 05-26-2023, 07:08 AM   #6
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The Equation

Jeep Cherokee towing capacity 2,000 lbs (4,500 with Towing packages) + Forest River Micro Lite 25' UVW #5,748 + HW #824 = disaster.




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Old 05-26-2023, 07:10 AM   #7
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Would love to know hitch weight as % of trailer, as loading up a bunch of bikes on a rear mounted rack will unweight the hitch some.

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Old 05-26-2023, 07:35 AM   #8
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So many variables. Jeep Cherokee has a GVW of 5,500 which is more than I thought. Towing weight restrictions most likely hitch structural related. Does the Jeep Cherokee have electronic sway control like the F-150? I really think electronic sway control is the magic sauce that can abort the onset of sway in situations like this.

For my part I have started a practice of putting my finger on the trailer brake paddle any time I crest a hill with a semi on my tail in the left lane.
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Old 05-26-2023, 08:00 AM   #9
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Anatomy of a Trailer Sway Accident

Be careful when using a generic name Jeep Cherokee, there are different models with very different capabilities in towing etc. some with excess of 7000 lbs.
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Old 05-26-2023, 08:57 AM   #10
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Well, certainly Bob stated the proper corrective-action would have been to apply trailer-brakes only…(which alone should have solved the problem)…. But…

The added weight of those rear-mounted bikes don’t help…..And….

I you look at :20 sec’s you can see that overpass the 18-wheeler/jeep-combo simultaneously passing beneath likely contributed greater “bow-wave” effect upon the combo…. and….

Prior to the sway-event it appears the jeep rear wheel-well height/ axle is higher than it’s front ….while the trailer is “hitch high”…. not a good set-up…. This makes for a naturally unsteady combo and increases sensitivity to sway. It becomes Worse as the Jeep applies brakes and the trailer begins to “over-run” the Jeep.
I suspect that trailer/bike pkg is tail-heavy being towed by a short-wheelbase TV which has it’s rear axle un-loaded somewhat.

Less gov’t is what we all desire…but I believe that it might be a good idea to require “Trailering” to the restrictions and testing requirements of driver licensing, especially when TV-to-Trailer size/weights approach equality or greater.
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Old 05-26-2023, 09:20 AM   #11
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Thank you for posting. That is absolutely terrifying. I have been considering the Tuson electronic sway controller that brakes trailer wheels if sway is detected. It seems to get good reviews. I have sway control on the F-150 so I would need to make sure the two systems don’t fight against each other.

Thanks again.
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Old 05-26-2023, 09:25 AM   #12
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Boxite View Post
I you look at :20 sec’s you can see that overpass the 18-wheeler/jeep-combo simultaneously passing beneath likely contributed greater “bow-wave” effect upon the combo…. and….
I agree with your analysis. Also it is common to see the strongest winds at the top of a hill. So all these factors summed together to start this event.

I agree, toggling the trailer brakes at this point and not using the TV brakes may have aborted the whole thing. It would be really nice to have a steering wheel mounted trailer brake toggle switch for just these situations since reaction time is critical.
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Old 05-26-2023, 09:36 AM   #13
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Thank you. The video, along with the commentary, is a good safety lesson. It's uncomfortable to watch, but it really helps me to go through what-if scenarios.
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Old 05-26-2023, 10:57 AM   #14
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This stuff is terrifying which is why my TV is capable of towing much more than I’m willing to tow with it. I like to stay well under any max. numbers.
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Old 05-26-2023, 11:04 AM   #15
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This stuff is terrifying which is why my TV is capable of towing much more than I’m willing to tow with it. I like to stay well under any max. numbers.
No doubt the bigger the better when it comes to TV's. But there are so many variables that can conspire even with a big TV. Anticipating a sway event (big truck, down hill, overpass, strong winds all together) and learning how to quickly react to the beginning of a sway event may be more important than the TV or WDH used.

This thread and associated video should be a sticky post in the Towing, Tow Vehicle & Hitches forum.
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Old 05-26-2023, 12:29 PM   #16
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There is one more variable that I have not seen discussed and that is "speed". I cannot tell from the video how fast the traffic is moving. Towing speed is regulated by the state and it can range from 55 MPH to 75+. In any case the driver is driving faster than the road conditions; rig configuration allows including the driver's ability. No doubt this individual was a road hazard pulling out their driveway at home.
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Old 05-26-2023, 01:25 PM   #17
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Hensley or ProPride
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Old 05-26-2023, 04:10 PM   #18
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I think it's a safe bet that if they're still trailering, they own a bigger TV.

A cautionary tale if there ever was one.
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Old 05-26-2023, 07:41 PM   #19
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Rear brakes

If your trailer is not set up with proper weight distribution and correctly loaded all that “Ferd fancy puter swaying cnytl “will do is smoke your rear brakes while you tool along saying wow what a great truck.

Quote:
Originally Posted by FredWilma View Post
Thank you for posting. That is absolutely terrifying. I have been considering the Tuson electronic sway controller that brakes trailer wheels if sway is detected. It seems to get good reviews. I have sway control on the F-150 so I would need to make sure the two systems don’t fight against each other.

Thanks again.
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Old 05-27-2023, 04:46 AM   #20
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It looks to me like the root cause of this accident was a ridge on the freshly paved road surface. When the trailer dropped off the edge and the driver tried to bring it back again it suddenly surged and started swaying. The driver then overcorrected and lost control. He should have taken his foot off the gas pedal, slowed down and held the wheel straight.
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